BBG83

I wonder how much of our 13-14 play was down to McClaren and how much Simpson?
I don't remember him being completely 433 before us - but in truth I didn't pay that much attention. He wasn't known as an all out attacking manager with Boro or England. 
I remember Simmo being credited (by McClaren) with quite a few of the brave attacking substitution ideas at the time. He also advised McClaren not to try to see out a couple of games early on - the idea is that we were leading through our attacking play so why change it? It is possible that we credit McClaren for a lot of Simpson's work.
That said, McClaren was very into 'doing the right thing'. He believed that the manager should take the blame, but the staff and the players should get the credit - using his 'broad shoulders' to take the pressure off others. It is possible that he deliberately 'bigged up' Simpson's input. I also think that's why the Newcastle thing destroyed morale. McClaren set himself up as the club's 'moral compass' which the players bought into. That meant they felt betrayed once it became clear that he was considering jumping ship.
FWIW I think that McClaren would probably get us higher up the table this season than any other manager - maybe 10th. The problem is that we'd also finish 10th next season too. 

No. The squad is average at best. Lawrence (1 in 10) is classed as one of our better players. No striker. Waghorn needs several clear cut chances. We don’t know how good Joswiak is yet. Bielik on paper is a £10m player. The kids are what they are, kids, learning all the time.
How is it a Top 6 squad? There’s a lot more than five clubs with better squads than Derby.
Forget Rooney exists. It’s not a strong squad.

No. The squad is average at best. Lawrence (1 in 10) is classed as one of our better players. No striker. Waghorn needs several clear cut chances. We don’t know how good Joswiak is yet. Bielik on paper is a £10m player. The kids are what they are, kids, learning all the time.
How is it a Top 6 squad? There’s a lot more than five clubs with better squads than Derby.
Forget Rooney exists. It’s not a strong squad.

McClaren would relegate the club, as would Rooney

The love-in for McClaren is yet again at embarrassing levels.
Unless it's Twente 2008/10 or Derby 2013/14 (if that was a success) he's literally failed everywhere, including his first full season with us.
Leave him under his umbrella, walking his dog or whatever he's doing now. I mean he's arguably not as good as Hoddle could be but he never gets mentioned.
Where's the poll with options 'Play sexy football but stay in the Championship', 'Play direct go up to the Prem', or 'A Hybrid that won't happen any time soon'?

Some of the comments on here are just ridiculous plain and simple.
Can't people get it into their heads the reason he was sacked?
Some on here have now turned into ducking Quincy ( a medical examiner tv show for those kids out there).
I was one of Keoghs biggest fans and couldn't believe the stick this bloke has had to take over the years.
BUT, HE refused to go home when the majority of the players had sense to do so and kept on drinking.
HE, then got into a car where the driver was with him all night also drinking!! (what, you think Lawrence had 2 pints then went on J20's for the rest of the ducking night) FFS.
HE was offered a taxi and refused.
He was offered a reduced contract to stay at the club, HE REFUSED. The club have then every right to sack him through GM as he is unable to continue what he was contracted to do. If any one of us was on a fixed contract to do a job and we did something like this and wasn't able to continue working for 15 months do you really think your employers would even offer a new contract to you?.. NOT A CHANCE!!, you'd be sacked.
Trying to tie in Lawrence and Bennett doesn't work, yes they were stupid but even they had the brains to put the belt on. They have been charged to the full extent the law allows and punished by the club. They can still carry on what they are contracted to do, Keogh can't. All 3/4 were stupid, only Keogh was more stupid and it's cost him his job.
Folks trying to defend him, saying we don't know what happened, no we prob don't know the whole truth and on that basis how do you know Keogh wasn't pissing about in the back and caused Lawrence to crash??, it works both ways you know.